Humanist representatives on local RE councils gather for 2014 annual meeting

13 November, 2014

Humanist representatives on Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (SACREs) gathered in London on Saturday for their 2014 annual meeting. SACREs are responsible for setting and overseeing the RE syllabus in community, foundation and voluntary controlled schools in each local authority, and the British Humanist Association (BHA) administers the network of 150 humanist representatives on SACREs. Dr Joyce Miller, Chair of the Religious Education Council for England and Wales (REC), gave a presentation about the All Party Parliamentary Group on RE’s recent report RE and Good Community Relations, which Joyce wrote after coordinating the preceding inquiry.

The meeting was a particularly timely one, coming one day after the launch of the consultation on the new English GCSE and A Level Religious Studies (RS) subject criteria, and the exclusion of non-religious worldviews from those criteria. Reps heard about the BHA’s work on the reference group that helped draft the criteria, the support given by the REC for inclusion, and the widely signed letter calling for it to be possible to systematically study Humanism. Reps also heard about the BHA’s work on the so-called ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal in relation to RE and Collective Worship, subsequent proposals related to ‘British values’, Ofsted’s ongoing consultation on a new inspection framework, the new requirement in GCSE RS to teach two religions instead of one, and calls by the National Governors’ Association, Bishop of Oxford and Liberal Democrats to scrap Collective Worship outside of ‘faith’ schools. Reps also heard about the BHA’s investigation into Birmingham SACRE, Tristram Hunt’s support for reforms, and the BHA’s work on the new Curriculum for Wales, amongst a number of other consultations.

Dr Joyce Miller, Chair of the RE Council
Dr Joyce Miller, Chair of the RE Council

In terms of educational practice, reps heard about the ongoing success of the BHA’s relaunched school volunteers programme, the well attended inaugural teachers’ conference that the BHA organised in the summer, the huge viewership figures of the four ‘That’s Humanism!’ videos, the completed fundraising to send Alom Shaha’s Young Atheist’s Handbook  to secondary schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the new Humanism for Schools website and the highly visibleThought for the Commute’ advertising campaign.

As well as exchanging information and ideas, humanist SACRE reps also heard from Joyce Miller about how RE can contribute to cohesive schools, cohesive communities and cohesive society. Dr Miller gave an overview of the main themes that emerged during the inquiry, including difficulties around the implementation of law and policy, challenges and successes in learning in religious education and the need for religious and non-religious literacy, and how to secure high quality RE teaching for every young person. Dr Miller provided an overview of the religious and non-religious makeup of Britain today, how religious and non-religious identities are often multifaceted and how RE itself also serves multiple purposes.

The RE Council has been supporting the BHA’s call for an option to study Humanism to be added to the new GCSE Religious Studies subject criteria. In a statement, Dr Miller commented, ‘The REC Board has agreed unanimously that the optional systematic study of a non-religious worldview should be introduced at GCSE level. We want to promote a rigorous and inclusive study of religions and beliefs that is relevant and challenging for young people of all faiths and none.’

Notes

For further comment or information, please contact Richy Thompson on 020 7324 3072.

Read more about the BHA’s campaigns work on Religious EducationCollective Worship, and about its educational work.

The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It promotes a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.